Motor position/column shift help

[Steve Van Gent]

Here is a broad question; I want to add aftermarket chrome column to my truck this year, and move my K&N floor cable shifter to a column shift I have several questions. Let me give brief history of my truck...

Today, I have a 350 TPI in truck married to a 700R4. I have the motor set in the rear most engine mounts. I say this as I believe that our motors can sit in either the forward position or the further back position...I only think this as there are two sets of holes in frame for motor mounts, in my kids '70 I mounted motor in front hole set and motor sat very nicely in engine bay with plenty of rear clearance around distributor. My 65 motor sits in rear holes and has absolutely NO clearance between distrib and firewall.

This brings me up to now...I am concerned with using the factory shift linkage from new column to 700R4, thinking it will not fit or shift nicely if in fact my motor and trans are in wrong place. As such, I am thinking I may want to use a cable to connect column to trans instead of linkage. I must buy either regardless of which I chose.


So here is my question; Which should I use (linkage or cable), where do I buy, and am I the only idiot that has motor too close to firewall?